Uh-Oh, Is Netflix Experimenting With Commercials?

There are many things to love about Netflix, but chief among them is the fact that it’s a haven for people tired of being bombarded with commercials. At least, that’s what it is now, but today comes rumblings that the future might look differently. Both Cord Cutters News and Vice’s Motherboard are reporting that there has been a recent infiltration of advertisements on Netflix streaming — gasp!

Parties claim that those privy to the new ads have experienced pre- and post-roll trailers for Netflix Original programming on XBOX One, Roku, and Tivo consoles. Similar to how HBO self-promotes its own content before and after the airing of an episode, you may see an ad for new Netflix-branded series and upcoming seasons before and/or after viewing something on the platform. As with previous roll-outs for new features on the service (including a brand new, upcoming interface), Netflix is testing the ads on a seemingly random selection of users before, perhaps, rolling out to the masses. Motherboard was able to get a quote from Netflix, who confirmed that they are “running a test to show some of our original programming. As with any Netflix product test, this may never come to all our members.”

Despite the smidgen of hope that ads won’t eventually infiltrate our own experience on the platform, the avoidance of platform-based advertising by the company seems highly unrealistic for the long haul. Though Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt has stated that Netflix can survive without ads because of their innovative way of “developing direct relationships with the consumer,” (i.e. accumulating data that analyzes what and how you watch content) there is pressure on the company to remain profitable enough to continue to grow upon its already staggering 60 million members. As any form of media has taught us time and again, ads tend to keep the wheels-a-turning.

Competitor streaming services like Hulu feature advertisements before, during, and following an episode of a show (there are none whatsoever if you decide to watch a movie on the platform) — much to their user’s dismay. Hulu users may put up with the relentless ads, however, because of the service’s specificity to their television consumption routine. Hulu acquires episodes of hit shows often the day after airing, which is currently the best deal cordcutters can get if they choose to keep up with the watercooler conversation. Netflix may have a much vaster library of content to choose from, including award-winning original programming, but members certainly can’t catch up with series that are on cable right this very moment. Series and seasons are often acquired months after airing, making the supposedly impending need for advertisements seem a tad moot.

HBO’s previews for their own content before and after an episode, however, keep subscribers within the realm of the Home Box Office universe and get audiences excited for new series and seasons of their often highly-anticipated programming. Would we think similarly if a trailer for Season Three of Orange Is the New Black followed an episode of, say, Daredevil? What about non-Netflix programming that has lived on the service for years, like Mad Men or Breaking Bad? Would we think anything of it if, while bingeing a non-Netflix show, we were interrupted by a promo for House of Cards? As of now, it has been reported that US users are only seeing ads for Netflix Originals but, non-US users have claimed that this is nothing new of the service: promos are of the norm, even before and after (non-Netflix) movies.

Would you stay subscribed to the service if you had to deal with promos? Tell us why or why not in the comments below. And if you’re experiencing these ads, let us know what you were watching when they appeared.